The present invention relates to a self-contained power supply and a support for releasably mounting such a power supply on a vehicle chassis and, more particularly, is concerned with such a support which has a low profile and is suited for mounting a power supply unit beneath the chassis of a semitrailer.
Portable power supply units are well-known in the prior art. They generally comprise some type of internal combustion engine which drives a generator. Some are supported on their own special chassis, such as that of my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,003. Others are supported on the chassis of existing vehicles, such as semitrailers of the type with which the present invention is designed to be used.
The prior units designed to be supported on existing semitrailer chassis have had the disadvantage that they were of relatively high profile and necessitated mounting to one side of the longitudinal frame members of the chassis. This resulted in eccentric loading of the chassis and also positioned the power supply unit and the support therefor in a position vulnerable to damage.
Power supply units of the type with which the present invention is concerned are frequently employed for continuous operation where little or no attendance is provided. For example, such units may be used to power the refrigeration systems on semitrailers which are transported across country on flatbed railroad cars. This necessitates that the units be of extremely durable construction and provided with an adequate reservoir of lubricating oil and means to cool the oil against overheating. The present invention provides such a reservoir and means by incorporating a supplemental oil reservoir into the frame of the support.